Back in force

The French Historic Circuit Championship returns to the Nièvre region. It promises to be a thrilling weekend, with 21 races on the menu, bonus F1 demos, over 300 drivers ready to do battle and the four French championships at stake.

MAGNY-COURS A BIG HIT

The French Historic Circuit Championship has wisely chosen its destination for the start of the new school year. The prestigious Nevers Magny-Cours track continues to be a big hit, and the entry list for this fourth of the five meetings of the 2023 Historic Tour is a resounding endorsement! After a long summer break, the championship is back on track with a particularly strong field. A total of 310 drivers (285 cars) are expected in the Nièvre region for this not-to-be-missed event in historic competition.

While the largest number of entries will be found in the Lotus Trophy races (with a record 42 entered!), there will also be plenty of starting grids elsewhere, notably in GT Classic/Saloon Cars (with 39 cars), Formula Ford Historic (32), Roadster Pro Cup (30), Formula Ford Kent (29), Maxi 2L Classic/Maxi 1300 Series (25), F3/Formule Renault Classic (23), etc.

At the end of the day on Saturday, the traditional 200km endurance race also promises to be hotly contested, with around twenty prototypes and GT/Touring cars taking part. Apart from this one-and-a-half-hour event, the whole weekend will be punctuated by sprint races lasting 25 or 30 minutes. The Historic Tour's extensive programme includes twenty of these, a double race for each of the ten grids.

And, in keeping with a valued tradition, these races will provide the public with an opportunity to see racing cars of all kinds in action (single-seaters, prototypes, GTs, Touring cars), some of the oldest survivors from the 1950s and most of them worthy representatives of the next four decades.

BONUS F1S

Spectators at the Historic Tour de Magny-Cours will also have the privilege of seeing F1 cars on track in a double daily demo session. Several are expected to be in action, starting with the Jaguar R5 (2004 ex Webber) driven by Dutchman Klaas Zwart, who will be setting out each day to challenge the absolute record still held by Fernando Alonso!

FRANCE CHAMPIONSHIP: A CRUCIAL WEEKEND

With the Nivernais meeting the penultimate date on the 2023 calendar, the weekend promises to be of the utmost importance in the quadruple French Historic Circuit Championship. Antoine Robert (Martini MK48) will be aiming to extend his unbeaten run in the Formula Renault Classic, and thus maintain his advantage over his closest pursuers, Matthieu Midy (Van Diemen RF90 in Formula Ford Kent) and Stéphane Nguyen (Lucchini Alfa in SportProtosCup). Philippe Gandini (Mini Jem in the Maxi 1300 Series) and Emmanuel Brigand (Porsche 930 in Racing Over 2L), co-leaders of the Pre 1990 GT/Touring championship, also boast an unbeaten record as they head back to Nevers Magny-Cours. In the Post 1990 GT/Touring championship, Fabrice Lefebvre (Audi Quattro in Saloon Cars) will be out to maintain the lead he currently holds over Laurent Fresnais (Mazda MX5 in Roadster Pro Cup). Finally, after winning the three previous races, Eric Martin and Laurent Vallery-Masson, in a Debora Alfa proto, head into this weekend's meeting as solid leaders of the French Historic Endurance Championship.

WHICH RACES, WHICH CARS, WHICH DRIVERS?

THE FRENCH SINGLE-SEATER/BIKE CHAMPIONSHIP GRIDS

F3 Classic Trophy

Races: Saturday 2.50pm and Sunday 3.20pm (2 x 30 mins). Races run in conjunction with the Formula Renault Classic Trophy.

The cars: Pre-1985 F3 single-seaters.

Prominent drivers: Lajoux, Lacour, Vaglio Giors (March), Vallery-Masson, Tavarès, Faucher, Merche (Ralt), Eynard-Machet, Houzelot (Martini), Michel (Chevron), etc.

Formula Renault Classic Trophy

Races: Saturday 2.50pm and Sunday 3.20pm (2 x 30 mins). Races run in conjunction with the F3 Classic Trophy.

The cars: Formula Renault cars (atmo and turbo) from before 1995.

Prominent drivers: A.Robert, L.Robert, Monnet, Mottez, Bagur, Tomsen, Boite, D'Urbal (Martini), Empois (Orion), etc.

Formula Ford Kent Trophy

Races: Sunday 8.30 am and 5.55 pm (2 x 25 minutes).

Cars: Pre-1993 Formula Ford Kent single-seaters + non-championship Formula Ford Zetec cars.

Prominent drivers: Dousse, Midy, Genecand, Sanjuan, Vaglio-Giors, "Nelson", Beloou, Monteiro, Simon, Bouquet, Rougemont, Herault (Van Diemen), Kozyreff, Tomsen, Deridder (Reynard), Comte (Crosslé), Janin, Zonta (Rondeau), etc.

Formula Ford Historic Challenge

Races: Saturday 4.00pm and Sunday 12.05pm (2 x 25 mins).

The cars: Pre-1982 Formula Ford single-seaters + F3 1000 cm3.

Prominent drivers: Belle (Lola), Genecand, Michel, Girardet, McMorran, Eynard Machet (Crosslé), Faggionato, Sanjuan, "Nelson", Colombat, Ogier (Van Diemen), Ghio, Wilkin (Ray), Lecluse (Lotus), Prévost (McNamara), Leclerc (Hawke), Mangold (March), Dupont (Dulon), etc.

F3 1000: Derossi, Timms (Chevron), Widmer (Brabham), Ingwiller (Pygmée), etc.

SportProtosCup

Races: Saturday 10.25 and Sunday 14.10, preceded by a Grid Walk (2 x 25 mins).

The cars: Sport-Protos from before 1995.

Prominent drivers: Nguyen, Bouvet/Perrier, Amoros (Lucchini), Villot (Osella), Ferrier (Chevron), Dougnac/Dougnac (Epsilon), Kolly, Baumard Contre (Lola), De Murard (Giada), Guermonprez (Grac), Terrones (Chapman), Rossiaud/Le Jean (Hydra), etc.

THE PRE 90 FRENCH GT/TOURING CHAMPIONSHIP GRIDS

Lotus Trophy

Races: Saturday 4.35pm and Sunday 4.35pm (2 x 30 mins).

The cars: Lotus Seven and former Caterham.

Prominent drivers: X.Jacquet, Delhaye, Vulliez, N.Beloou, Rucheton, Gaso, C.Jacquet, P.Metayer, Berrezai, Bouchetal, Odin, Szyndelman, Huret, Koenig, Thiry, Lauber, Vest, Grenot, Blanchemain, Giraud (Lotus Seven), Cane, Jan (Caterham), etc.

Racing Over 2L

Races: Saturday 2.15pm, preceded by a Grid Walk, and Sunday 9.45am (2 x 25 mins).

The cars: GT/Touring cars over 2000 cm3 (and those under 2000 cm3 with over 200 bhp) built before 1981.

Prominent drivers: Brigand (Porsche 930), Dauxerre, Baert (Porsche 911), Gravier (Ford GT40), Besson (Alpine A310 V6), Calas, Dupuy, Dusailly (Ford Escort RS), Perou (Austin Healey 3000), Excoffier/Excoffier (Chevrolet Corvette), Regnier (Porsche 910), etc.

Maxi 2L Classic

Races: Saturday 5.20pm and Sunday 5.15pm (2 x 25 mins). Races run in conjunction with the Maxi 1300 Series.

The cars: GT/Touring cars with less than 2000 cm3 and less than 200 bhp from before 1981.

Prominent drivers: Richelmi, Rosembly, Chalendard, Benne (Lotus Elan), Raffin (Cortina Lotus) Breugnot (Alpine A110), Carini (Ford Anglia), Castelli, Mora, Manganaro(Ford Escort), Ollevier (BMW 2002), Grosjean (Morgan 4/4), Baert (Alfa Giulia), etc.

Maxi 1300 Series

Races: Saturday 5.20pm and Sunday 5.15pm (2 x 25 mins). Races run in conjunction with the Maxi 2L Classic.

The cars: GT/Touring cars under 1300 cm3 built before 1977.

Prominent drivers: Gandini (Mini), Pouillon, Barrere, Panel, Merlini (Cooper), Grosjean (Marcos), Benjamin (Alpine A106), Wathelet (NSU TT), Lempereur (Fiat 127), etc.

THE POST 90S FRENCH GT/TOURING CHAMPIONSHIP GRIDS

Roadster Pro Cup

Races: Saturday 9.50 am and Sunday 10.55 am (2 x 25 minutes).

The cars: First-generation Mazda MX-5s.

Prominent drivers: Fresnais, Hergault, Bourget, Turbot, Martin, Bouchet, Sauvadet, Sionneau, Allard, Olivier, Blanc, Carreno, Carini/Carini, Guitteny, Bessiere, Filipowicz, Bouchreau, Borrego, Chevron, Voidy (all on Mazda MX-5s), etc.

GT Classic Trophy

Races: Saturday 11.00am and Sunday 10.20am (2 x 30 mins). Races run in conjunction with the Saloon Cars Trophy.

The cars: GT cars built before 1998.

Prominent drivers: Sabatier (Porsche 993 GT2), Delannoy (Porsche 964), Gaillard, Roche/Roche (Porsche 996), Chollet (Porsche 944), Smaniotto/Cooper (BMW M3 GTR), Besson (Venturi 400), etc.

Saloon Cars Trophy

Races: Saturday 11.00 am and Sunday 10.20 am (2 x 30 minutes). Races run in conjunction with the GT Classic Trophy.

Cars: GT/Touring cars built before 1999.

Prominent drivers : Lefebvre (Audi Quattro), Grenet (Dodge Viper), Yvetot (Porsche 964 LMS), Gautier, Desmaele (Porsche 964), Derognat (BMW 323), Samson (Porsche 996), Danne (BMW M3 GTR), Empois (BMW E21), Fuet (BMW E36), Dubelly (BMW 30 CS), Faurie, Vulin (Caterham), Lortal, Trichet (Lotus Elise), Verney (R5 GT), etc.

Youngtimers GTI Cup + Superberline 2.0l

Races: Sunday 9.10am and 2.45pm (2 x 25 minutes).

The cars: Pre-1991 GTIs under 2 litres + Superberlines (under 2 litres)

The drivers: Youngtimers: Piau, Quagliozzi, Gimonet, Moreau, Chaulan, Aumard/Aumard, Morel (Honda Civic), Maehr (R5 GT), Martin (Golf GTI), etc.

Superberline: Hebette (Renault Laguna), Gosset (Opel Vectra), Cabarrou/Cabbarou (BMW 320), Pozzobon (Alfa 156), Bourry (Peugeot 406), etc.

FRENCH HISTORIC ENDURANCE CHAMPIONSHIP

200 km Historic Tour

The race: Saturday 6.00 pm (90 minutes).

The cars: Protos/GTs/cars eligible for Historic Tour grids.

Prominent drivers : Martin/Vallery-Masson (Debora), Michel/Vaglio Giors, Gerbout/Genecand (Chevron B19/B21), Villot (Osella), Perrier/Bouvet (Lucchini), Gache/Richelmi (Porsche 934), Zimmer/De Ferran (Grac), Destombes (Peugeot 905), Roche/Roche, Peinetti/Lauber (Porsche 996), Lortal/Delarche, Trichet (Lotus Elise), Pargamin, Boucherie (Lotus Seven), Besson (Clio V6), etc.

IN THE PADDOCK

In the paddock, the Historic Tour's partners' village includes the stands of Oreca (sale of competition parts), Sodipneu/Sodifuel (tyre and fuel supplies) and Stand 21 (made-to-measure driver safety equipment). The traditional Kennol Awards will honour a deserving driver from each grid. France Toner, LP Tent, Ellegi Motori, Yokohama, AM Paris and Assurances Lestienne are all valued partners of the Historic Tour.

THE SCHEDULE

Friday 29 September: Private practice from 8.30 a.m. to 3.35 p.m. Qualifying from 2.05 p.m. to 7.05 p.m. Saturday 30 September: Qualifying from 8.15am to 9.40am and from 12.00pm to 12.55pm. Races (9) from 9.50am to 11.25am and from 2.15pm to 7.30pm. Sunday 1st October: Races (12) from 8.30am to 12.20pm and from 2.10pm to 6.20pm.

Advance ticket sales online (www.hvmracing.fr): 2-day pass 15 Euros (on site 20 Euros), 1-day pass: 10 Euros (on site 15 Euros). Grid Walk option: 10 Euros/day. Free entry for under-15s.

Media contact: presse@hvmracing.fr